M F Husain and Qatar citizenship
M F Husain is based at Dubai and has been leading the life of a fugitive thanks to myriad cases filed against him in various courts in India on grounds of religious sacrilege and hurting religious sentiments. Being an artist, there is question of freedom of expression and there is a sizable group of intellectuals championing his cause taking the stand that Husain's freedom of expression as an artist has to be respected. The editor of my favourite newspaper N Ram who has a personal friendship with Husain in his column has stated that the sculptures in temples have been accepted for artistic value and Husain's depiction of deities should be viewed in the same spirit.
I am no fan of religious chauvinists and would be happy to see the protagonists of recent trouble in and around Mumbai incarcerated in prison.
But on Husain's condition, I have mixed feelings. The impetus for modernisation and healthy criticism for religious practices have to come from within the religion for sustained change. There was a recent incident which did not create a law and order situation in New Zealand- a church had depicted a poster for public view which showed Joseph and Mary in bed- Joseph in a pensive mood while Mary seemed to happy facing facing a different direction. This poster did find critics but the church authorities said that a debate was welcome on this issue and also added that the poster was displayed to induce a healthy debate which would be good for how the society viewed the religion and its practices. There was no hue and cry as the call for debate came from within believers in the religion and not from those practicing other religions. On the other hand,depiction of Prophet Mohammed in a cartoon in Denmark caused a furore and I feel this happened because a person practicing another religion drew the cartoon. No amount of explanation in terms of freedom of expression of the cartoonist is going to assuage the feelings of the believers.
But for issuing some statements, Husain does not seem to have done much as an individual or in terms of getting a set of influential people ( Husain is a person of stature and should not have had much difficulty in forming a group of like minded accomplished people ) within his sect in discussions and debates towards modernisation of his religion and its practices.
As for journalist Ram's observation on temple sculptures, the temples have been built by Hindu kings and the sculptures have the approval of the king and the religious leaders serving him. voluptuous deities are still being carved by sculptors under the supervision of sthapathis in South India for temples in expansion mode and for those under renovation. All the sculptors are practitioners of the religion and hence there is no conflict.
Husain has strode into the domain of a religion he does not practice and hence he is being targeted for his irreverent painting of Hindu deities. Hence my fixed feelings on Husain's existence in exile. I am sure he would not have been conferred Qatar citizenship if his work for the museum there commissioned by the Qatar ruling family had some images offending the sentiments of the dominant religion of Qatar. Any amount of defence of Husain in terms of freedom of expression of artists would have helped his cause in such a situation in Qatar though he belongs to the same religion.
Catalyst can be an outsider but the urge for change has to come from within. This is true for individuals, true for societies, true for nations and true for religions.
I am no fan of religious chauvinists and would be happy to see the protagonists of recent trouble in and around Mumbai incarcerated in prison.
But on Husain's condition, I have mixed feelings. The impetus for modernisation and healthy criticism for religious practices have to come from within the religion for sustained change. There was a recent incident which did not create a law and order situation in New Zealand- a church had depicted a poster for public view which showed Joseph and Mary in bed- Joseph in a pensive mood while Mary seemed to happy facing facing a different direction. This poster did find critics but the church authorities said that a debate was welcome on this issue and also added that the poster was displayed to induce a healthy debate which would be good for how the society viewed the religion and its practices. There was no hue and cry as the call for debate came from within believers in the religion and not from those practicing other religions. On the other hand,depiction of Prophet Mohammed in a cartoon in Denmark caused a furore and I feel this happened because a person practicing another religion drew the cartoon. No amount of explanation in terms of freedom of expression of the cartoonist is going to assuage the feelings of the believers.
But for issuing some statements, Husain does not seem to have done much as an individual or in terms of getting a set of influential people ( Husain is a person of stature and should not have had much difficulty in forming a group of like minded accomplished people ) within his sect in discussions and debates towards modernisation of his religion and its practices.
As for journalist Ram's observation on temple sculptures, the temples have been built by Hindu kings and the sculptures have the approval of the king and the religious leaders serving him. voluptuous deities are still being carved by sculptors under the supervision of sthapathis in South India for temples in expansion mode and for those under renovation. All the sculptors are practitioners of the religion and hence there is no conflict.
Husain has strode into the domain of a religion he does not practice and hence he is being targeted for his irreverent painting of Hindu deities. Hence my fixed feelings on Husain's existence in exile. I am sure he would not have been conferred Qatar citizenship if his work for the museum there commissioned by the Qatar ruling family had some images offending the sentiments of the dominant religion of Qatar. Any amount of defence of Husain in terms of freedom of expression of artists would have helped his cause in such a situation in Qatar though he belongs to the same religion.
Catalyst can be an outsider but the urge for change has to come from within. This is true for individuals, true for societies, true for nations and true for religions.
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